Topic is Sleeping.
sisoon (original poster moderator #31240) posted at 4:33 PM on Wednesday, June 28th, 2023
I've always placed my EZ-Pass transponder so that I maintain as much visibility as possible, and I've always thought that meant attaching it vertically. I've always had problems getting through the execrable Indiana Toll Road tollgates, and sometimes the Ohio and NJ Turnpikes haven't read my transponder, though usually those roads do read my unit.
Recently I asked the Illinois Tollway how to solve these problems. Frustrated by their useless response, I changed the transponder to a horizontal orientation, and all the tollgates read the signals.
Does anyone here have the expertise to explain the difference? It's almost as if the radio signal from the transponder is polarized....
Thanks in advance.
The transponder is a year old BTW, so the battery should be about as good as it can be. Also, it's in a Prius, and the transponder is close to the middle of the windshield, next to the Prius's radar, I think. I relocated the thing in part because I thought interference could cause a problem, but the new location of the center of the transponder is only 1"-2" awat from where it was.
[This message edited by SI Staff at 4:36 PM, Wednesday, June 28th]
fBH (me) - on d-day: 66, Married 43, together 45, same sex ap
DDay - 12/22/2010
Recover'd and R'ed
You don't have to like your boundaries. You just have to set and enforce them.
Superesse ( member #60731) posted at 5:03 PM on Wednesday, June 28th, 2023
I read your query to my mechanic-in-residence and he says: "Some windshields have microscopic wiring for ice removal, which can block transponder transmission, and some windshields are reinforced with carbon fiber, which may restrict transponder transmission, too. Moving the transponder just that little bit could have made the difference in interference."
sisoon (original poster moderator #31240) posted at 4:41 PM on Thursday, June 29th, 2023
Ha! Live and learn. Thanks. For some reason, I get great satisfaction from picking up esoteric info.... 
The funny thing is that the Indiana Toll Road ('ITR') is privately held, and they are so inefficient that I've been using it toll-free, even though they've always taken the number of my transponder. The number should make it possible to track my account down and charge me. The state-run Ohio Turnpike always has charged me by taking down the same number.
Anyway, this trip I got charged by the ITR - and it was worth it to get through the toll gates without delay.
fBH (me) - on d-day: 66, Married 43, together 45, same sex ap
DDay - 12/22/2010
Recover'd and R'ed
You don't have to like your boundaries. You just have to set and enforce them.
BearlyBreathing ( member #55075) posted at 4:57 PM on Thursday, June 29th, 2023
My transponder kept falling off my windshield (I had it mounted between the rear-view mirror and windshield so I gave up and just left on my dashboard. And it works just fine. 🤷♀️ My transponder is OLD but my car is new. These days our bridges read the license plate too so I *suspect* that is enough and they correlate it to the account my transponder is on.
So long as it works, right?
Me: BS 57 (49 on d-day)Him: *who cares ;-) *. D-Day 8/15/2016 LTA. Kinda liking my new life :-)
**horrible typist, lots of edits to correct. :-/ **
number4 ( member #62204) posted at 5:51 PM on Thursday, June 29th, 2023
I've always had problems getting through the execrable Indiana Toll Road tollgates
Glad to hear some things never change. The Indiana Toll Road was the bane of my existence going back twenty years when we used to drive east often out of Chicago when we'd take our kids to their colleges. We still have our transponder, and it will be interesting to see if we still have problems with it when we go through the Indiana Toll Road in a three weeks.
I can't believe Indiana hasn't fixed that. I know no one who drives out of Chicago, heading east who doesn't complain about it.
Me: BWHim: WHMarried - 30+ yearsTwo adult daughters1st affair: 2005-20072nd-4th affairs: 2016-2017Many assessments/polygraph: no sex addictionStatus: R
grubs ( member #77165) posted at 2:45 AM on Friday, June 30th, 2023
FWIW we stick ours behind the rear-view mirror. Gives the reader clear view of it without putting it in the field of view and seems to work everywhere we've been.
sisoon (original poster moderator #31240) posted at 4:56 PM on Friday, June 30th, 2023
I noticed in 2022 that our transponder had an 'expiration date' of 2020 on it. I forgot that batteries have finite lives. If your battery is dead, I recommend getting a new device.
Transponders that don't work aren't a problem on roads that do electronic tolling because they photo your license plate and query your state's database for your EZ-Pass account or address. If you go through Ohio or Indiana, the transponder has to work or you suffer delays.
fBH (me) - on d-day: 66, Married 43, together 45, same sex ap
DDay - 12/22/2010
Recover'd and R'ed
You don't have to like your boundaries. You just have to set and enforce them.
JasonCh ( member #80102) posted at 6:09 PM on Friday, June 30th, 2023
On the newer transponders there are arrows on them that point up -- this makes the orientation horizontal.
grubs ( member #77165) posted at 6:54 PM on Friday, June 30th, 2023
I'm kind of fond of the UniPass I purchased from the E-Pass store on amazon. Did it because at the time FL and GA's tolling wasn't fully integrated with ez-pass and the unipass covered them along with ez-pass. I think that has since changed. Comes with suction cup legs which makes it easy to move between vehicles.
Topic is Sleeping.
